Atkins is the type of player Shaq lives off of. You're insane man. Too much bias against Shaq. Every team has injuries, and shit. Look at the Bulls, the Pacers, the Mavericks, the Sonics. It's not like the Lakers and Kobe were the only team to go through this.
I mean really. Shaq pre-Kobe (In LA); they made the playoffs. That one year he was there without him, with just Eddie Jones, they were in it. Switch Eddie Jones back then with Odom, Butler, and Atkins, they make the playoffs.